There's more than just page numbers in the index of a Japanese literary magazine
Folding out with a wealth of linguistic and cultural lessons, the index can act as a makeshift classroom for the imaginative.
When Japanese goes to the dogs ... and the cats
If you want to pet a stranger's dog, it's better to know how to ask permission first.
Japanese features a lot of ways to complain about the heat in summer
As we make the shift from 梅雨 (tsuyu, rainy season) to 夏本番 (natsu honban, summertime in earnest), you'll find that the weather will take center stage in many Japanese conversations.
Get in tune with the sound of Japanese vocabulary
Certain Japanese words sound like they should represent an action, can you guess what a word means by how it's pronounced?
As Mount Fuji opens for business, brush up on your Japanese hiking terms
Make sure you know your "chōjō" from your "fumoto," and which trail is right for you on Japan's most famous landmark.
The Japanese words 'mono' and 'koto' can make things tricky
Both "mono" and "koto" mean "thing" in Japanese, but they're used in different ways. And the thing is, nuance matters.
In praise of the perfect Japanese compliment
The Japanese haven't traditionally complimented one another in the workplace, but a book on the power of positive reinforcement has garnered a following.
Here’s to nattō, Japan’s original superfood
One of the country’s most notable 健康食品 (kenkō shokuhin, health food products), 納豆 is made from 大豆 (daizu, soybeans) fermented with 枯草菌 (kosōkin, bacillus subtilis).
Don't give up yet on giving and getting in Japanese
One of the first things taught in anthropology classes is that presents exchanged in a given society hardly ever come for free. When someone gives another person something, that always entails some sort of obligation. Acts of giving and receiving are hence highly sensitive ...
Speaking up in Japanese for quality time off work
Decades ago, the mid-1980s to be exact, I complained to my mom that my dad worked too much. Like legions of middle-aged Japanese salarymen, my father was never home before 9 p.m. and spent his weekends on 海外出張 (kaigai shucchō, overseas business trips). He ...
Matching the ins and outs of two common kanji
From April 1, the 入国管理局 (nyūkoku kanri-kyoku, Immigration Bureau), which operated under the auspices of the 法務省 (hōmushō, Justice Ministry), was upgraded from a bureau to an agency. Its Japanese name changed to 出入国在留管理庁 (shutsunyūkoku zairyū kanri-chō), which can be interpreted as the agency ...
When giving a public speech in Japanese, tears can be your trump card
There are certain occasions in Japan when showing emotion is expected. Deploying a few key phrases can also do the trick.
